


Make a Brand New Ending

by shinysylver



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-29
Updated: 2011-04-29
Packaged: 2017-10-18 19:31:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/192452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinysylver/pseuds/shinysylver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just when it seems like everything is going to come to an end, Danny finds a way to turn it into a new beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make a Brand New Ending

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0
> 
> Many thanks to [](http://jesseofthenorth.livejournal.com/profile)[**jesseofthenorth**](http://jesseofthenorth.livejournal.com/) for a quick beta on short notice. And also thank you for putting up with my anal and obsessive brand of crazy. The title comes from a Carl Bard quotation.

“I’m sorry.” Danny said. “It’s not my choice.”

Steve refused to look at Danny and instead looked resolutely at the papers on his desk. “I understand. Family first.”

“Steve--”

“Really it’s fine.” Steve interrupted not wanting to talk about this. Not wanting to talk about Danny leaving. Not wanting to even think about it more than he had too. “I get it. When?”

Danny sighed. “I don’t know. It’s all up to Rachel.”

Steve nodded. “Just let me know.”

“You’ll be the first call.” Danny said before leaving the room.

Once he heard the front door close and was sure that Danny had left, Steve slumped down burying his face in his hands. Things had just started to look up. Life was becoming bearable again and now this? Rachel had to go and divorce Stan, which had been the only thing keeping her in Hawaii, so now she could pick up and move back to New Jersey or England or wherever the fuck she wanted and Danny would follow. He would follow because he had to. Because of Grace.

Steve couldn’t blame him. It was the responsible thing to do. Danny was a good father, he always put his kid first. It was one of the things he lo--he respected about him. It was tempting to do something that would _make_ Rachel stay here in Hawaii but even if he could find a way, he couldn't do it. She was moving back to New Jersey and Danny would want to be home, close to his family. The entire time Steve had known him, Danny had only wanted two things: more time with Grace and to move back to New Jersey. Steve couldn’t take that away from him and besides, Danny would never forgive him if he did.

Steve dug his fingers into his scalp, almost to the point of pain. It didn’t matter--shouldn’t matter--anyway. Danny was just his partner, his coworker, he would find a replacement. The replacement might not be as good but they would do. The job had to go on. It was all he had.

**

Danny punched the steering wheel. If he couldn’t even bring himself to leave Steve’s fucking driveway how was he going to leave the whole damn island? He hated this place, hated everything about it, but most of all he hated that he was going to miss it. He didn’t want to miss this place, these people, but he couldn’t deny that he was going to. He wanted to stay but he didn’t have a choice. Moving to Hawaii hadn’t been a choice and neither was moving back to New Jersey. He had to go where Grace was. There was no negotiating that.

He felt horribly guilty leaving Steve behind; he knew what his partner had been through in the past. He knew how hard it was for him to let someone in, really let them in, and now he was leaving him just as Steve was finally dropping some of those walls. He was ending their partnership, their friendship, when it had only just begun and no matter how hard Steve tried to pretend it was okay, it wasn’t. Danny had seen the pain Steve had tried to hide by avoiding eye contact. Steve never could keep the emotion out of his eyes. One look had made him feel sorry for any criminal who crossed Steve’s path this week. Shark cages would seem like a walk in the park.

Danny sighed and turned the key in the ignition. There wasn’t much he could do about it, but maybe he could try. He backed out of Steve’s driveway and turned toward Rachel’s. He didn’t know what he was going to say but he had to say something. He had to try to make her see reason. The irony wasn’t lost on him that he was about to go beg his ex-wife to stay in fucking Hawaii instead of moving back to New Jersey. He hated begging and it irked him even more that he was going to beg for _that_ , so by the time he reached her house he had worked himself up into a furor. He slammed the car door and marched up her driveway like a man on a mission. When he made it to the front door he banged on it as hard as he could.

“Daniel, what the hell?” Rachel asked as she flung the door open.

“You can’t do it.” Danny said brushing past her to begin pacing in the entry way. “You can’t take her away again.”

“Daniel,” Rachel’s voice was icy. “You know that Stan’s job was the only reason we moved here. There is no reason--”

“Of course there’s a reason!” Danny yelled, wildly waving his hands. “Grace has friends here! She likes her school! She shouldn’t have to be uprooted again because you’re selfish!”

“Don’t call me selfish. Selfish would be taking her to England.” Rachel hissed. She leaned in close, pointing her finger in his face. “Taking her back to New Jersey is a gift.”

“And then where?” Danny demanded, his anger was beginning to cool but it was still there simmering under the surface. “You were never happy there before what makes this time different? No Rachel, it is selfish, it’s selfish to let your relationships dictate Grace’s life.”

“Don’t you mean yours?” Rachel asked. “This isn’t even about Grace is it? Here I was thinking that New Jersey would be what you would want. That she could at least have part of her family around her. You never wanted to be here in Hawaii in the first place. What changed?”

Danny opened his mouth but nothing came out. What had changed? He had gotten used to Hawaii, used to the weird words and strange foods. He’d gotten used to the damn rain storms and lack of seasons. But just because he had gotten used to those things didn’t mean that he liked them. And still, he couldn’t deny that Hawaii was home now. And, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t deny that most of the reason was that insufferable man with the expressive eyes.

“It’s been two years Rachel.” Danny sighed, losing some of the tension. “Lots of things change in two years. And okay, yes, I’ll admit it, I want to stay here. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think moving again would be bad for Grace.”

Rachel seemed to relax fractionally. “I know she doesn’t want to leave. But I thought...I thought that it would be better to go where she had your mom and sisters and all of her cousins. I’ll be getting a job now and I hate for her to be alone all of the time.”

“I appreciate that.” Danny said. “I really do, but she has family here too. Rachel if this is guilt about taking her away in the first place then don’t worry about it. It worked out. She’s happy and God help me I am too.”

“Daniel?” Rachel asked. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. We’ll find a way to make it work here.” He answered. “Just please, don’t take her away again.”

“I do like Hawaii,” Rachel mused. “But you get to be the one to tell your mother that it’s your fault she can’t see her granddaughter every day.”

Danny groaned. “How about we never mention it was an option?”

“I’m tired of being the bad guy.” Rachel said with a small laugh. “It’s your turn.”

“I’ll blame it on Steve.” Danny said before he could stop himself.

“Ah.” Rachel murmured knowingly. “How is this Steve’s fault, Daniel?”

Danny opened, then promptly closed his mouth. He sat down on the stairs and looked up at her. “Everything is always Steve’s fault.”

“Mmmhmm.” Rachel raised her eyebrow. “Daniel, you forget that I know you very well. I’ve seen the way you look at that man when you think no one’s watching. It’s the way you used to look at me.”

Danny sighed. There was no reason to hide things from Rachel. She always figured them out anyway. “He’s just so alone Rachel. I don’t want to leave him like everyone else has. And before you say anything, no we aren’t--you know--because I don’t want to risk that. It would screw up too many things if it didn’t work.”

“You aren’t ‘you know?’ What are you five?” Rachel’s laugh rang out echoing in the foyer as she sat down next to him. “So is he interested?”

“I think so. It’s not exactly something we talk about.” Danny answered. “But yeah, I think so.”

“Then I say risk it.” Rachel said resting a hand lightly on his arm. “Because if I am going to stay in Hawaii because of that man then you damn well better at least make a move. Do you hear me?”

Danny knew that he was gaping at her but he didn’t know how to respond. “Let me get this straight. You want me to go make a move on my boss? The insane Navy SEAL? Tonight?”

“Yes.” Rachel grinned. “Here’s the deal. You go talk to him, make your move, and if you still want to stay in Hawaii tomorrow then I’ll agree to stay here until Grace graduates.”

“That’s just--that’s just evil.” Danny said, his stomach tying itself into knots.

“What do you have to lose?” She shrugged. “If it doesn’t work we can still go back to New Jersey.”

**

Steve was sitting at his desk staring blankly at the stack of papers in front of him. He had no idea how long it had been since Danny had left. He hadn’t moved a muscle, trapped in his memories. He couldn’t stop thinking about all of the pain that this office had seen. It wasn’t just his father’s murder, which was enough pain for one place to hold in a lifetime, but these walls had also witnessed that awful moment when his father called him in to tell him that he was being sent away and now they witnessed the moment that he lost Danny. He was so lost in thought that he almost missed the front door opening, but his instincts kicked in and he reached into the desk drawer where he kept a gun.

“Steve?” Danny called from the hallway. “I talked to Rachel.”

Steve closed the drawer and went into the hall to meet Danny. He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. He'd thought he would have more time. “When?”

“I talked to Rachel.” Danny repeated, ignoring Steve’s question as he walked toward him. “And I asked her not to leave.”

“What?” Steve asked surprised. “I thought she was going to go back to New Jersey?”

“She was, still might.” Danny said quietly as he stopped directly in front of Steve. “Depends on how this goes.”

“What goes?” Steve asked, confused. “I think I'm missing something here. What do you mean--”

Suddenly Danny wrapped an arm around Steve’s neck and pulled his head down to bring their lips together. The kiss was brief; Danny did little more than brush Steve's lips with his own before he pulled away. He retreated across the hall and leaned against the wall, staring at Steve.

“Danny?” Steve questioned breathing hard. There was no reason for him to be out of breath, after all he could easily hold his breath underwater for six minutes, and yet one brief kiss left him gasping. He raised a shaking hand toward his lips and stared back into Danny’s intent blue eyes.

“I want this.” Danny said gesturing between the two of them. “And I think you do too. But if you don’t tell me now.”

Steve opened his mouth but no words came out. He had never allowed himself to think this was possible. Never even allowed himself to dream that he could have this. But he did want it, more than he had wanted anything in a very long time. Not able to find the right words, or any words at all, Steve rushed forward and captured Danny’s lips with his own. He cupped Danny’s face in his hands and took his time, exploring Danny’s mouth with his tongue, before finally pulling away.

“I take that as a yes.” Danny said, licking his swollen lips in a very enticing manner.

“Yes.” Steve nodded, leaning forward for another lingering kiss. “Yes.”

“Okay then...” Danny’s voice shook. “Okay, then I guess I should tell you that Rachel’s agreed to stay in Hawaii.”

“Okay.” Steve nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “Good.”


End file.
